Haunted House
by Erin T. Aardvark
Summary: Mike and Peter are stranded at a haunted house on Halloween night
1. Chapter 1

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know I should have waited until October to post this, but I just couldn't. As I stated before, please read my story, "Monkee Magic" before reading this one. This also has a small reference to Jerry Blavat, who appeared in the episode "Some Like It Lukewarm" (I know he's not popular in the Monkees fandom, but I actually like the guy, so deal with it). The name of the junior high school mentioned in this story is my own, and it does *not* exist in real life. The character of Hazel the Witch is *not* the same as Warner Brothers' Witch Hazel. Also please forgive me if Peter seems to be out of character. In my original version it was Jerry Blavat in his role, before I decided to rewrite it._

* * *

October 31. Halloween. The time of year when all the ghosts come out to play. As well as monsters, goblins, skeletons, witches, and warlocks. One half-warlock was out driving the Monkee Mobile along the outskirts of LA. James Monroe Junior High School was holding a Halloween party, and the Monkees had been asked to play for it. Peter's thirteen-year-old nephew, Franky McAlister, had roped them into it, but unfortunately, the Monkees wound up double booking. A disc jockey they knew, Jerry Blavat, had asked them to play at a live broadcast he was doing at a station Halloween party at the same time. So Peter came up with the bright idea to split the group. Mike and Peter would play for Jerry's broadcast, and Davy and Micky would play for the school. Franky didn't like the situation, as he wanted his uncle to play at the school, but it was how the straws were drawn. At any rate, Peter had promised he and Mike would be at the school as soon as they could, anyway.

After the radio gig, Mike and Peter hopped into the Monkee Mobile, and headed for Monroe Junior High School, however, Mike was taking a very creepy shortcut. Peter was actually biting his nails as Mike drove down this path!

"Did you have to pick such a creepy shortcut?" he asked.

"I don't think it's that creepy," Mike said.

"You wouldn't. You're half warlock, after all! Can't we just take the regular highway or something?"

"You have no sense of adventure."

"Right. And I intend to keep it that way."

Mike shook his head and continued driving. Peter wished Mike could at least put the top of the car up. He didn't like the fact that a cold wind was blowing, and that only made the night seem creepier. If night time seemed creepy, it only seemed creepier on Halloween.

"What kind of shortcut is this anyway?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Mike said. "I just read a road sign that said shortcut and took it."

"Let's just get back on the main highway, okay? I've had it with Halloween."

"Man, just because the broadcast didn't go so well tonight . . . ."

"Well, thanks to you, Jerry Blavat will never hire us again. You just _had_ to use your magic."

"Can I help it if the party got dull?"

"Yeah, but dropping skulls from out of nowhere? Especially when someone demanded Jerry play the song 'Monster Mash' . . . . you know you scared everybody half to death! Me included!"

"So there were spiders in those skulls. So what? The party needed to be livened up a little anyway. And nobody was in the Halloween spirit."

"So nobody showed up in costume, so what? Listen, we promised Franky we'd be at his school for the Halloween dance tonight so let's go."

Mike nodded and continued driving along. Pretty soon, he got the car lost in the woods.

"I think I blew it," he said.

"You sure did," Peter replied. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Good question. What we need is a map."

Mike snapped his fingers and a map appeared in his hand. Then he handed it to Peter.

"I'll start drivin', you look for any landmarks on the map," he said.

"Got it," Peter replied. He unfolded the map and looked over it. Then Mike drove off. Fifteen minutes went by.

"Well, I've finally figured out where we are," Peter said.

"Good," Mike replied. "Where are we?"

"Hopelessly lost!"

"Yeah, I'm hip. Well, maybe I can find a way out of here and fast. We're almost out of gas."

Just then, the Monkee Mobile sputtered and then stopped dead in it's tracks.

"Yep, we're out of gas," Mike said. Peter slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Great," he said sarcastically. "Now what are we gonna do?"

"You're askin' me?!"

Peter groaned. Mike got out of the car and looked around. Apparently, they stopped in front of an old house. It looked like nobody had lived in it for decades.

"Maybe there's a workin' phone line in there," Mike said.

"I hope so," Peter said. "Or else we're not getting out of here."

The boys walked up the front porch. The wood floors creaked with every step they took. Peter began to bite his nails all over again. Mike looked at him and yanked the blond Monkee's hand out of his mouth.

"Don't do that," he said. "You're makin' me nervous."

"This whole place is making _me_ nervous!" Peter commented. "Just ring the bell."

Mike pressed the doorbell. And it was the kookiest doorbell you have ever heard! It just didn't go "ding dong" or anything like that. It sounded like a large bell in a bell tower ringing to the tune of Chopin's "Funeral March."

"That doesn't sound so good to me," Peter said.

"Now wait a minute," Mike said. "That's just the door bell, man. Nothin' to be scared of. And it looks like nobody's home, so let's go inside."

Peter sort of whimpered. Mike opened the door, and it creaked loudly.

"I'm outta here!" Peter shouted, running for the car. Mike grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Hold it just a minute, buster!" he shouted. "You and I are in this thing together."

"I'd rather wait in the car."

"Come on!"


	2. Monster Manor

The two Monkees walked inside, nervously. The floors creaked, it was dark and scary looking, and empty.

"Well, I guess we should start lookin' for a phone," Mike said.

The boys walked down the hallway. Somehow, the house reminded Peter of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. And he just kept telling himself that over and over again.

"If this reminds me of the Haunted Mansion, then there's nothing to be scared of," he told himself. "I'm not afraid of that ride, so clearly I can't be afraid of anything in this house."

"Stop talkin' to yourself," Mike said. "You're makin' me crazy!"

"Let's just find a phone, and split! I'm starting to get cold shivers."

Mike sighed. He and Peter came across a door in the hallway. Mike opened it and an army of bats flew out and practically dive bombed them. They screamed and ducked. Finally, all the bats cleared out.

"What the heck was that?!" Peter shouted, nervously.

"Must've been the bat-room," Mike said. Peter groaned at that awful pun, and smacked the Texan Monkee in the arm.

"Come on," he said. "Let's just go!"

"We can't leave yet, Pete," Mike said.

"Why not?"

"For one thing, the Monkee Mobile's out of gas, and for another thing, we're hopelessly lost. Now if you've got any ideas on how to fix the car, I'm all ears."

"Snap your fingers and get us some gas! You're half warlock!"

"Oh yeah. I keep forgettin'."

Mike snapped his fingers, hoping he'd conjure up some gasoline. Instead, a fireworks display shot out of his fingers. Sparks of light flew all over the place. Mike and Peter had to duck to avoid getting clobbered and singed. Finally, the display subsided.

" _What_ was _that_?!" Peter asked.

"Beats me," Mike said. "I want gas, and I get a fireworks display. Don't that beat all?"

"Your magic's acted up before, but that really takes the cake!"

"Well, guess we're back where we started. Let's go find that phone."

"Do we have to? This place gives me the creeps."

"Man, just keep tellin' yourself this is like the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. In all honesty, this place isn't _that_ bad."

"Of course it isn't," a deep, creepy, Boris Karloff-type voice said out of nowhere. "After all, we like it."

Peter could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He also began to hyperventilate, and the color drained from his face. Mike looked a little nervous himself. The two Monkees turned around and were standing face to face with a huge, pale, and creepy looking man. Both of them screamed.

"Ah, music to my ears," the monster said. That was just a little too much for Peter. His eyes rolled back and he nearly fainted, but Mike grabbed his shoulder before he could.

"Don't you dare faint on me now," he said.

"I won't if you won't," Peter said.

"Who are you?" Mike asked, turning to the monster.

"I'm Boris," he said.

"Surprise, surprise," Mike muttered under his breath.

"I'm the caretaker of this house," Boris said. "We call it Monster Manor."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Mike whispered, sarcastically, to Peter.

"Might I ask your names, sirs?" Boris asked. "That way, we'll know what to put on your tombstones. I mean our guest book."

"Did he say tombstones?" Peter asked. Mike shrugged.

"Uhh, well, I'm Mike, and that's Peter," he said.

"You picked a wonderful night to come visiting my friends," Boris said. "For it's Halloween night, and all the grim, grinning ghosts will be coming out to play."

"Grim, grinning ghosts?" Peter asked. Then he began to run for the door. "See ya!"

Mike grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Then he turned to Boris.

"Listen, Boris ol' buddy," he said. "Peter and I sort of wandered in by accident."

"Yeah, our ran out of gas in front of your house," Peter said. "And Mike's magic's not workin' right . . . ."

"Did you say magic?" Boris asked.

"Yeah, he's half war . . ." Peter said. Mike stomped on the blond Monkee's foot before he could finish the sentence.

"Ouch!" Peter shouted. "What did you do that for?"

"Don't tell him!" Mike hissed. "I don't want everybody in the world knowin' I'm half warlock!"

"Oh," Peter said.

"Anyway," Mike went on, "we just dropped in to find a phone or something."

"Oh I'm sorry," Boris said. "All of our phones are dead."

"Which is what we'll be if we don't get out of here now, Mike!" Peter hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, you're right," Mike whispered. "Let's get out of here. Maybe my magic goin' haywire has somethin' to do with this house. It'll probably start workin' once we get back to the Monkee Mobile."

Peter nodded and the boys made a beeline for the door. But they were blocked off by a hunchback.

"Ah, Igor, meet our guests," Boris said.

"Where are you going?" Igor asked. This one talked like Peter Lorre. "Stay for the party! A heh!"

"Actually, we were just leavin'," Mike said.

"Bye!" Peter shouted. He ran for the door, and grabbed the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn. It was locked. Mike tried to zap it open but he just created another fireworks display.

"Oh you weren't really leaving were you?" Igor asked. "I don't like it when guests leave a party early. It makes me angry. And when I get angry, I want to do _terrible_ things."

"Well, I . . . I guess we could stay for a little while," Mike said, voice cracking. Peter just bit his nails and whimpered a little. This was probably going to be the scariest night of the boys' lives.


	3. The Count

Boris and Igor led Mike and Peter into another room. There were spiders and cobwebs hanging all over the place, and bats were resting from the ceiling. There were also skeleton bones scattered around the floor. Not to mention the party guests. They all looked like classic movie monsters.

"I would like you boys to meet the owner of Monster Manor," Boris said. "This is the Count."

The Count was a Dracula-esque vampire, fangs and all. Peter grew pale. Mike took a deep breath, in order to try and calm himself.

"Good evening," the Count said. "What brings you boys to Monster Manor?"

"Ahhh . . . . . ahhh . . . . we, uhhh . . . . that is . . . . ahhh," Peter stammered. "Mike, you'd better tell him. I can't get a word out while looking at him."

"Okay," Mike said. "Listen, Count baby, see, Peter and I were drivin' along, and our car ran out of gas, and, well we were tryin' to find a phone."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the Count replied. "But all our phones are dead."

"Yeah, we've heard," Mike said. "Uhh, listen, we'd love to stay, but we've got to split."

"Previous engagement," Peter said. "Come on, Mike!"

"Oh what's your hurry?" the Count asked. "Come in and meet the guests."

"Oh, we'd like to," Mike said. "Really. But, ahh, uhhh . . . ."

"We can't," Peter said. "We promised my nephew we'd play at his school Halloween dance, and we're late."

"Yeah, we really gotta go. See ya around!"

Mike and Peter made a beeline for the door but were stopped by the biggest Frankenstein monster they had ever seen. Both boys screamed and ran in the other direction. Peter threw open a door, in hopes it lead out of the house. No such luck. It happened to be a closet, and inside the closet was a skeleton.

"Would you mind closing the door?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry," Peter said, as he closed the door. Then he realized what exactly was inside the closet, and ran for the Texan Monkee, jumping into his arms in sheer panic.

"MIKE!" he screamed. "MIIIIIIIKE!"

"Peter would you get a grip?" Mike asked, dropping the blond Monkee. "What's the matter?"

"Ahhh . . . . gah . . . . eeehhh . . . ."

"Eh?"

Peter continued to stammer gibberish. Mike gave him one of those confused Looks.

"What was in that closet anyway?" he asked.

"Ska . . . . ska . . . . ska . . . . ska," Peter stammered, unable to talk. And he looked like he was going to faint any minute. Mike walked over to the closet and opened it.

"Shut the door!" the skeleton shouted.

"Sorry," Mike said, shutting the door. Then he turned to Peter. "See? Just a skeleton in the closet. No big deal."

Then, it sank in.

"SKELETON?!" Mike screamed.

"Let's get out of here!" Peter yelled.

Mike nodded and the boys ran for the door. But the Count stopped them.

"Oh, you can't leave yet," he said. "Stay for a bite or two."

That comment really freaked Peter out. In retaliation, he grabbed his neck and backed away.

"Cool it, Peter," Mike said. "Maybe he's a vegetarian vampire."

"Who in the world is a vegetarian vampire?" Peter asked.

"Well, there's . . . . ahhh . . . . there's . . . . hmm. Can't think of a one."

"See what I mean?"

"Now listen, Peter, we can't get out of here just yet. Not through the front door, anyway. Now if we just look around, maybe we can find our way out of here."

"Can't you use your magic?"

"It's on the fritz. Aunt Kate told me my magic probably won't work the way it's supposed to on Halloween. Let's go."

Mike and Peter returned to the party. They saw every monster known to man, included a mummy, a werewolf, a couple of ghosts, skeletons, and so on. But what they didn't see was a stereotypical witch.

"You can't have Halloween without witches," Mike said.

"He oughta know," Peter said. "He happens to be half warlock."

"Peter!" Mike shouted. "I told you not to tell anyone!"

"Sorry," Peter said, sheepishly.

"Are you, really?" the Count asked. "Hmm. You don't look it."

"Stereotypes will do that to you," Mike said, shrugging.

"Oh. What about your friend there? Is he half warlock?"

"No. He's a mortal. All mortal."

"What blood type is he?"

"Blood type? Hmm. Good question. I'll ask. Hey, Pete!"

"What?" Peter asked.

"What blood type are you?" Mike asked.

" _What_?!"

"The Count wants to know what your blood type is."

"The Count wants to know what my blood . . . . ."

Peter's voice trailed off when he realized what Mike asked him. And it finally sunk into Mike's head, too. Both of them screamed and began to run in a panicked frenzy.

"We've got to get out of here before he sucks my blood!" Peter shouted.

"I know, I know," Mike said. "The problem is we can't find a way out of here."

"That's because there is no way out, my friends," the Count said, coming up to them. "Once you enter Monster Manor, there's no leaving."

"Oh yeah?" Mike asked. "Take this!"

The Texan Monkee snapped his fingers, and another fireworks display shot out. It hit the Count, and sent him hurtling through the nearest wall. Then Mike and Peter made a break for it. They ran into the library and slammed the doors shut.

"Maybe my haywire magic's gonna come in handy," Mike said.

"What do we do now?" Peter asked.

"Find a way out, what else? And the only way to do that is to split up and search the house."

"But what if we run into Dracula?"

"We won't run into Dracula. Now come on!"

"No way! I'm not searching this crazy house!"

"Peter, there's nothin' to be scared of, now come on!"

Mike grabbed the blond Monkee's hand and pulled on it. Peter grabbed onto a bat that was sitting on a pedestal, trying to stay put.

"I'm not going!" he shouted.

"Peter come on!" Mike yelled, practically yanking Peter's arm right out of his shoulder!

"No!" Peter yelled. "Please, Mike! Please don't make me! I don't want to! Please Mike!"

Mike finally let go once he saw the look on Peter's face. Pure fear.

"Hey," he said. "You're really scared, aren't you?"

"Let me put it this way," Peter replied. "I'm not shaking like this because it's cold in here."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, we won't split up. We'll stick together on this one, okay?"

"Okay."

"And if we get separated, meet back here at the library."

"Right."


	4. The Secret Passage

Mike opened the library door slightly and looked around. Nothing was coming.

"Coast is clear," he said. "Let's go."

"Okay," Peter replied, and he followed Mike out of the library. The two of them snuck down the hallway, trying to avoid any monsters in that house.

"This whole thing is completely freaky," Mike said. "I'm gettin' deja vu."

"Oh yeah, I remember," Peter said, nodding. "That girl Davy was going with, Lorelei. They were gonna turn Davy into a vampire, and then I got myself caught and they were gonna put my brain into a monster, and then Micky got caught and they were gonna turn him into a wolfman."

"I tell ya, Pete, we get ourselves into more messes."

Peter nodded. Mike looked around and then spotted a secret door in the middle of the wall.

"Ooh!" he shouted. "A secret door!"

"Secret door?" Peter asked.

"Yeah! Come on, let's go."

"Mike, please, don't! With every kind of movie monster in this house, who knows what you'll find in a secret door!"

But Mike was long gone, already through the secret door. And there was no way Peter was setting foot inside!

"Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" he asked. "Well, he said if we get separated to head back to the library, so . . . ."

Peter walked back to the library and looked around. He saw that bat in the middle of the room and stared at it.

"Who in the world would keep bats in the living room?" he said. Then he thought it over. "Boy, ask yourself a silly question."

Peter looked at the bat for awhile, and pulled a string that was attached to it.

"I want to drink your blood!" it said.

"Must be a conversation piece," Peter replied. Then he laughed nervously and looked around the room. "I hope we find a way out of here soon. It's things like this that make me glad Halloween is only once a year!"

Peter sighed and picked up a book. He had to do something until Mike returned. Suddenly, thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Anybody could hear it throughout the entire house, even in the secret door. Mike jumped and looked around the passage.

"Ooh wow!" he whispered. "Is it scary down here! Man, Pete, talk about deja vu. Micky and I went through this sort of thing once. But he wasn't with me. I'm glad you're right behind me, Pete, 'cause if I knew I was all alone, I'd be pretty scared, you know?"

Mike didn't get an answer. He turned around to see if Peter was still following him. And when he realized he wasn't . . . . .

"Oh boy."

Mike walked around the passage nervously.

"Peter, if you're hidin', you'd better come out here!" he shouted. "Come on, man. This isn't funny!"

Mike groaned and walked around, despite the fact that he was scared out of his wits. Meanwhile, the door creaked open to the library. Peter nervously dropped the book he was looking through and then sighed of relief, thinking it was Mike.

"Mike, am I glad you're back," he said. "I hope you found an exit because this place is scaring the living daylights out of me!"

Peter turned around and found himself face to face with the Count. And if that were a cue, thunder clapped loudly and lightning flashed.

"You were expecting maybe Bela Lugosi?" the Count asked. "And now, my young friend, I want to bite your neck!"

"Ooohhhh no, you don't want to bite my neck," Peter said, backing away. The Count followed him. "People always tell me I have a scrawny neck. You know they say they want to break my scrawny neck, and . . . . and . . . . and you don't want to bite a scrawny neck!"

"Oh but I do!"

"No you don't. I've got a low blood count. I'm scheduled for a blood transfusion soon. Like in July two thousand twenty-five!"

Peter made a mad dash for the door, but the Count turned into a bat, flew for the door, and then changed back into a vampire, blocking him off.

"Now, my friend," the Count said. "I want to drink your blood!"

"No you don't! Trust me, Count, you don't!"

"But I do! I do! Come here, you delicious mortal you! I want to find out your blood type!"

The Count grabbed Peter by the shoulders and exposed his fangs. Peter tried to pull away, but it wasn't any use. He begged and pleaded, but the Count just kept coming forward. He lunged his fangs into the side of Peter's neck. Peter let out the loudest, longest, most blood curdling, ear piercing shriek known to man. And Mike happened to hear it all the way in the secret passage.

"Peter!" he shouted, and ran back through the secret door, and practically flew into the library.

"Peter?" he called. "Peter, are you in here? Peter!"

Mike practically tore the library apart, but couldn't find any trace of Peter.

"Okay," he said. "There must be some logical explanation for this. I'm not gonna panic, I'm not gonna panic, I'm not gonna panic . . . . . who am I kiddin'?! I'm gonna panic! Peter!"

Mike ran down the hall, looking for Peter, and he ran smack into Boris.

"I'm glad I found you," he said. "The Count has been looking for you."

"Yeah, well, I haven't been lookin' for him," Mike said. "I've got to go."

"Oh no. You are needed at the party. And if you don't come to the party, I'll have Frankenstein crush your head like the killer pumpkin."

"Well, since you put it that way, let's party!"


	5. Witch Hazel

Mike followed Boris to the party. All the other monsters were there, except a stereotypical witch, which really bugged Mike. He expected a witch at a house like this!

"Oh, good, Boris," the Count said. "You found our warlock."

" _Half_ warlock, _half_ warlock," Mike corrected. "I'm only half warlock!"

"Oh that doesn't matter. You can do magic, can't you?"

"Well, yeah. But I'm not all that good at it yet."

"That doesn't matter. Sit down and I'll explain it."

Mike sat down. All the monsters approached him.

"At Monster Manor," the Count said. "All the monsters in the world gather around, but we aren't allowed to come out and wreak havoc until Halloween night."

"And the monsters that must be present at the Haunting," Boris said, "are the vampire, the wolfman, the mummy, a skeleton, a ghost, a Frankenstein monster, a blob, and a witch."

"But our resident witch has been banished for some reasons that will remain nameless," Frankenstein said. "So we needed a new witch."

"Precisely why we lured you here," the Count said.

"We lure mortals here all the time on Halloween," the mummy said.

"And it just so happens when we lured you here, Mike," Boris said, "we knew you were half warlock. We had to disable your magic, but it should be working perfectly now."

"Welcome to Monster Manor, Mike!" the Count shouted. "Boris! Let's Monster Mash!"

"Right, master," Boris said, and he put on a record and the song "Monster Mash" came on.

As the monsters were "Monster Mashing", they pulled Mike to his feet and tried to get him join in the festivities.

"You're one of us now, Michael!" the Count shouted. "Since you have monster blood!"

"I don't think I'd like bein' a monster," Mike said. "I don't even like bein' a warlock!"

The Monsters were all practically partying down. Mike couldn't run anywhere without coming face to face with one of them. He tried to make a break for the door, but the mummy threw a long bandage like a lasso and yanked him back to the party.

"You see it's fun to be one of us, Michael!" the Count shouted. "The Haunting can now begin once you pass the initiation test!"

"Initiation test?" Mike asked. "What initiation test?"

"You will cast a spell on our subdued guest mortal. Frankenstein, lower our special guest!"

Frankenstein groaned, saluted, and began turning a crank on the wall. Mike looked up and saw something (more like someone) being lowered from the ceiling. To his complete horror, it was Peter, wrists tied to a rope which was hanging from the ceiling. He was unconscious, and Mike noticed two small bite marks on his neck, and a little blood on those two spots.

"Oh boy," he muttered.

"Here's your initiation, Michael!" the Count shouted. "Cast whatever spell you want on your mortal friend, and you're one of us!"

Mike didn't say anything. He just looked up at Peter, nervously. There was absolutely no way he could cast a spell on him. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. The music continued for awhile. Mike began to bite his nails. The other monsters were laughing, waiting for Mike to make his move.

"You've had enough time to think about it, Michael," the Count said. "Now, cast your spell and join our group!"

"With a warlock in the Haunting," the blob commented, "we'll be unstoppable."

"You know how women can be, Mike," Igor said. "Nag, nag, nag, nag, nag!"

"So now cast your spell," the Count said. "And join us in the Haunting!"

Mike looked around at all the monsters, prodding him to cast a spell. Then he looked up at Peter, unconscious, pale, and pitiful looking. Finally, he cracked his knuckles and raised his hands into the air. Then he squeezed his eyes closed and concentrated as hard as he could. Bolts of lightning flew from his fingertips. One smashed the record player and the "Monster Mash" stopped. Another cut the rope that was hanging from the ceiling, and Peter fell. Mike caught him before he could hit the ground. All the other monsters looked at each other, talking at once.

"If you think I'm gonna cast a spell on one of my best friends to get into a club full of monsters, you're wrong!" Mike shouted. Then he ran for the door. "I'm outta here!"

"After him!" the Count shouted.

The Monsters ran off after Mike. The Texan did his best to avoid them, but the only way to make a good, clean escape was to snap his fingers and disappear, which he couldn't do. He was able to do it once, but after that one time, he hadn't been able to do it again. And he couldn't get on a broomstick either. He couldn't hold onto Peter while riding it, unless he gained consciousness in two seconds, but that was very unlikely. Besides, he lacked the skill of riding a broomstick anyway, so his only option was to run. He did manage to ditch the Monsters, however.

"I've got to find a way out of this house!" he shouted. "Before those creepy crawlies catch up to me!"

Luckily, Mike saw another door and kicked it open. It led out to the backyard, which was more like a graveyard.

"Swell," he said. "I should've known I'd end up in a graveyard sooner or later."

"I saw him come this way, Count!" the Wolfman shouted. "I think he went out the back door!"

"Let's follow him!" the Count shouted.

"Oh no!" Mike yelled. "I've got to get out of here!"

Mike began to run, and that wasn't easy while he was carrying the blond Monkee around. He was heavier than he looked.

Mike ran along, trying to avoid the Monsters. He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him, and ended up falling down an open grave. And that alone freaked him out.

"Where did he go?" he heard the Count ask.

"He was right here a second ago, Master!" Igor shouted.

"Well, don't just stand there! Find him! And that goes for the rest of you too!"

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the fact that he was scared out of his wits by falling into a grave, he was relieved that he had ditched the Monsters.

"I think we're out of danger for awhile, Peter," he said. "Now all I've got to do is figure out how to help you."

The Texan Monkee stood up, lifted Peter, and walked along a tunnel that was in the grave. He opened a door at the end of it, and snuck inside. There were shelves lined up along one wall with various jars and bottles of stuff. They had labels like "Fried Bat Wings," "Powdered Lizards Teeth," "Spiders Eyebrows," "Eye of Newt," etc. Mike nearly lost his lunch. Suddenly, he heard a loud cackle and a ear splitting,

" _Meeeeowwww_!"

Mike looked and saw a shadow of a rather large Halloween cat, and it was heading right for him. Mike froze, unable to move, until the cat came into view. It turned out that the big black cat just cast a big shadow. She was just a cute little black kitten. She looked up at Mike and gave a tiny meow.

"Hey there, kitty," Mike said. "You'd better get out of here. I think there's a witch down here."

The kitten mewed and ran off back into the room. Mike followed her, glancing at the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of him, when he was just a baby.

"This is so weird," he said. "What are my old baby pictures doin' here?"

The black kitten rubbed against Mike's ankles, in order to get him to follow her. Then a shadow picked up the little kitten.

"Well now, Spooky," a cackly voice said. "Where have you been tonight?"

"Mew," Spooky said. She ran outside to Mike and mewed. Out of the shadows came a witch, with green skin, a wart on the end of her long nose, and cackly voice. Mike screamed, and dropped Peter in the process. The blond Monkee landed on the ground with a loud thud. The witch just cackled.

"Ah, I see we have company," she said. "Welcome to my underground hideaway, young man. It's not usually I have visitors, especially on Hallo . . . . .ween."

The witch's voice trailed off when she got a good look at her guest. It was like she couldn't believe it.

"It isn't . . . ." she said. "Is it?"

"What?" Mike asked, positively petrified.

"Robert Michael? Is it really you? Robert Michael Nesmith?"

"You know me?"

" _Know_ you? Robert Michael, I'm your Aunt Hazel!"

"Aunt Hazel? I don't remember any Aunt Hazel."

"Well, Great Aunt Hazel, actually. You can get in touch with Katie and she'll tell you. Oh good gracious, child, let me look at you. Oh, sakes alive, how you've grown! Well come on in. Don't just stand there!"

Hazel walked into her hideaway. Spooky followed. Mike sighed, picked up Peter off the floor, and walked inside.

"So what brings you to my little hideaway, Robert Michael?" Hazel asked.

"Runnin' from the Bat Pack upstairs," Mike answered. "They want me to join their club 'cause I'm half warlock. They said they used to have a witch, but she was fired from her position."

"Yes. I was that witch, Robert Michael. They banished me because they thought I was too soft. The Haunting they do every Halloween used to be fun. But then it got dangerous. When they wanted to bring the Ghost of Tom out, I decided to quit."

"What's the Ghost of Tom?"

"The scariest ghost in all the world. And the most dangerous. He can only come out when the Monsters get together on Halloween during the Haunting. Was your initiation to cast a spell on a mortal?"

"Yes. But the mortal happens to be one of my best friends, and bandmate. I think the Count bit him in the neck, and I don't know how to help him."

"Bring him over here, and let's have a look."

Hazel cleared a table off and Mike set Peter on it. He and Hazel looked over him once or twice. Then Hazel snapped her fingers and a piece of gauze and some medical tape appeared in her hand. She gave the gauze to Mike and told him to hold it against the bite marks on Peter's neck. Then she taped the gauze in place.

"He may need a blood transfusion," she said. "But we can't perform one. We don't have the authority."

"And I might not have the right type of blood anyway," Mike said. "I don't know what blood type he is."

"We'll just have to wait. That's about all we can do for him for right now."

Mike sighed. He hoped he could get out of this creepy house soon. Right about now, he wished Halloween never existed.

"This is some night," he said. "Listen, Aunt Hazel, how do we get out of here?"

"That may be a little harder than you think, Robert Michael," Hazel said. "You may be able to leave, but your friend can't. Once a mortal enters Monster Manor, there's no escape. Every Halloween night, the Monsters get together and lure a mortal here. Then the Count will bite his, or her, neck, and the rest of the Monsters will torture the poor soul."

"So we're not here because our car broke down? They sort of tricked us?"

"Yes. They caused your car to break down. And believe me, Robert Michael, you're not getting out of here without some help."

"Yeah. Have you got a phone? I want to get in touch with Aunt Kate."

"Forget it, Robert Michael. If you tell her you're at Monster Manor, she'll flat out refuse to help you."

"How come?"

"Because my side of the family considers me the black sheep of the family."

"How come?"

"Because of my involvement with the Monsters. I've been involved with them since long before you were born. I only saw you once. You weren't even a year old yet. Your mother was certain I couldn't be trusted, and then she told me never to come back. Then one Halloween, the Count promised me I would get to see you once more. And that I would be the only one in the family to be with you. What they didn't tell me was that the Count was planning to conjure the Ghost of Tom and set him loose on your mother and the rest of the family."

"And that's when you were banished?"

"Yes. Even though I wanted badly to see you again, Robert Michael, I refused to help them conjure up the Ghost of Tom. And Kate found out and notified your mother right away. To this day, I've been the family outcast. Spooky's my only friend."

The little black cat rubbed against Mike's hand and licked it. Then she rolled over on her back and mewed. Mike rubbed the little kitty's tummy.

"Spooky likes you," Hazel said. "She knows a good boy when she sees one."

"What I don't get is why Mom and Aunt Kate never told me about you."

"They were afraid of me. They figured the less you knew, the better."

Mike sighed. He looked over at Peter laying on the table, then at his aunt. Then he stood up, lifted Peter off the table, and walked to the door.

"Once I get out of here," he said, "I'll tell Aunt Kate everythin'. You're not as bad as I thought you were when I first saw you, Aunt Hazel. You're not the type of witch that lures little kids with gingerbread houses, if you know what I mean. So how do I get back up to the surface?"

"There's an elevator down the hall and to your right," Hazel said. "And be careful."

"I will."


	6. The Ghost of Tom

Once Mike was at the surface, he found himself in the parlor of Monster Manor. He looked at the pictures on the wall, covered in dust and cobwebs. And they seemed to change as he looked at them. One picture was of a soldier on a horse, and it changed to a skeleton riding a skeleton horse. Another one was of a very pretty, young girl, and that changed to a hideous, old hag.

"Kinda like the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland," he said. "Only this place is scarier 'cause we've got _real_ grim, grinnin' ghosts!"

Mike put Peter on the couch for a minute and looked around.

"Well, there's no sign of the Monsters," he said. "I'd like to take you with me Pete, but I can't carry you around all night. Once I find an exit, I'll come back and get you."

Mike left the parlor, closed the door, and snapped his fingers to lock it.

"There," he said. "Now no creep can get in there. Peter should be safe for now."

Mike snuck down the hallway, looking around for the right exit. He heard footsteps coming and ducked behind a suit of armor. The Count, Boris, and Igor came down the hall.

"I don't know how you dingbats could have lost him!" the Count shouted.

"He just disappeared into thin air master," Boris said.

"We'll find him, master," Igor said. "It just takes some time."

"Bah!" the Count shouted. "Let's just find him and his stupid little mortal friend!"

The three monsters left. Mike sighed with relief. Then he continued looking for the way out. He went through one door and found the entire fleet of Monsters, the Count included.

"Welcome back, Michael," he said.

"Wait a minute," Mike said. "I just saw you comin' down the hall in the other direction. How'd you get in here?"

"Monsters work in mysterious ways. It's one of the fun things about being in our little group. Halloween is the perfect time of the year for the Monsters. But I digress. Join us for the Haunting, Michael. With your warlock magic, we will be unstoppable."

"No way!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that. Fortunately, I think we have a little something that will change your mind. Igor! Bring out the mortal!"

Igor pushed in a table of some kind. Peter was strapped to it. Mike was a little confused.

"How did you manage to get Peter here?" he asked.

"You should know better than to hide a mortal in my own house, Michael," the Count said. "Now, may I direct your attention to the ceiling directly above Peter?"

Mike looked up at the ceiling. On that particular square was a group of razor sharp spikes, and Igor was lowering them, slowly. They were capable of slicing Peter to ribbons.

"You do have a choice, Michael," the Count said, putting his arm around Mike's shoulders. "You can either join us in the Haunting, or Peter will join us. I've already sucked his blood, so I can control him if I wanted, but he'd have to be dead to join the Haunting."

"Isn't he already dead since you sucked his blood?" Mike asked. "I mean, he sure looks dead to me."

"True. But he's not dead. I just sucked his blood. Once the spikes come into contact with Peter's body, then he'll definitely be dead, and I can control his spirit. So you either join the Haunting, or Peter will."

Mike looked up at the spikes that Igor was lowering. They kept getting closer to Peter, inch by inch. Mike gulped and began to sweat. Finally once the spikes were about an inch from Peter's body, he held his hand up at Igor.

"Wait!" he shouted. "Stop! You drive a hard bargain, Count, but I'll do it. I'll join the Haunting on one condition."

"Well, usually, I don't bargain with anybody," the Count said. "But for you to join the Haunting, I'll do anything."

"I won't join you if you kill Peter. Let him go."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Michael. I let Peter go, you take him and split. However, I will promise that no further harm will come to him if you join the Haunting."

"Fair enough. But if you hurt him, or even try to kill him, I swear, you're gonna get it."

"Agreed. Igor! Chain Peter to the wall and then come join us! The Haunting will go as scheduled!"

"Yes, master!" Igor shouted, excitedly. The rest of the Monsters cheered. Mike sighed and hung his head.

The Monsters went out to the cemetery. They were all gathered at one large tombstone that read, "The Ghost of Tom."

"This is why we needed a new witch, Michael," the Count explained. "The Haunting can only begin when the Ghost of Tom appears. And to summon him, we need the assistance of a witch, or warlock. Even a half-warlock will do. It doesn't matter just so long as he or she has witch magic, like you do."

"Yeah," Mike said.

"Boris! Bring the cauldron!" the Count shouted. "Igor! The ingredients! It's time the Haunting began!"

Boris brought out a cauldron. Igor pulled out a table full of ingredients. The Count opened up a spell book and began to read off ingredients.

"You will pour them into the cauldron, Michael," the Count said. Mike hesitated for a minute. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do this.

"Do it," the Count said. "Or I will go back on our deal. I'm sure Frankenstein would love the chance to have a little fun playing with your mortal friend."

Mike gulped and began pouring ingredients into the cauldron. The Count smiled.

"Good boy," he said. "Now, you will read the incantation."

"Why me?" Mike asked.

"Because only a witch or warlock can recite it and bring the Ghost of Tom from the dead," the Wolfman said.

"It's going to be a hot time in the old town tonight!" the Blob laughed. Mike took the book and looked at the incantation.

"Snakes and spiders and bats in the skies," he read. "It is time for the Ghost of Tom to arise. For now it's time for the Haunting, to fill the world with fright. Now I command you to rise this Halloween night!"

Mike raised his hands into the air and clapped them. Magic came shooting out of his fingertips and surrounded the tombstone. Suddenly, the magic stopped. The wind began to blow harder just then, and Mike began to hear singing.

 _Have you seen the Ghost of Tom?_

 _Long white bones with the flesh all gone_

 _Ooooooooooohhhh . . . . . ._

 _Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on?_

That haunting song began to repeat itself, in round style. Mike looked at the grave. Slowly, a skeleton rose from it as the wind sang the song. It was the freakiest ghost Mike had ever seen in his life. It was taller than he was, and clothed in a white garment, which looked like it had been torn to shreds. His eyes were a glowing blood red. Once the Ghost of Tom emerged from the grave, the singing stopped.

"Now the Haunting can begin!" the Count shouted.

"It's time for the biggest Halloween party in history!" the Wolfman shouted, and then he howled.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Mike said. "What exactly _is_ the Haunting?"

"It can only be performed on Halloween night," Boris said. "And it can't be done without the Ghost of Tom."

"You see, Michael," the Count said. "The Monsters can't come out of hiding until Halloween night. And that's only one night a year."

"And only on Halloween night is when we can scare everyone in sight," Frankenstein said.

"It's no fun just to wander around Monster Manor the other three hundred and sixty-four days of the year!" the Blob shouted.

"But now with the Haunting, my boy, it will be Halloween all year round!" the Count shouted. "The Monsters are taking over! The Ghost of Tom will make it possible!"

All the Monsters cheered and laughed. Then they began to leave with the Ghost of Tom to begin the Haunting. The Count went directly for Monster Manor with the Ghost of Tom following him.

"Bring the mortal!" he shouted. "We can have a little fun with him while we're enjoying the Haunting!"

"Hold it right there, Count!" Mike shouted. "You promised me no further harm would come to Peter!"

"I know, but I had my fangs crossed when I said it," the Count said. "You didn't think I'd honestly let the kid go, did you? I only said that so you would conjure up the Ghost of Tom! And Peter's spirit can power Tom in all ways. And his spirit is perfect! So lively, so innocent! He's perfect for Tom!"

"What?!"

"That's why I had to suck his blood. The Ghost of Tom is powered by mortal spirit. And the mortals have to be subdued, and sucked dry. Precisely why I sucked his blood. And let me tell you, Michael. It was delicious!

"You . . . . you . . . . you monster!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, my boy. And now, thanks to you, it will be Halloween night forever!"

The Count laughed hysterically. The Ghost of Tom emerged from Monster Manor, carrying Peter with him. Mike gnashed his teeth and grabbed on to Tom's foot, in an attempt to pull him out of the air. The Count grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away from the ghost.

"Be proud, my boy," the Count said. "You conjured him for us! Besides, you're a warlock, and you should join us in the Haunting."

"No!" Mike yelled. "I refuse to take part in any Haunting!"

"Suit yourself, Michael. But you're missing out on some great fun!"

The Count turned himself into a bat and flew off after Tom. Mike began to run after them, but it was no use. He dropped down to his knees when he realized he couldn't catch up to them.

"I can't believe it," he said. "I can't believe I helped cause an eternal Halloween. There's no stop to this fright fest, and it's all my fault!"

Mike could hear all the Monsters laugh as they went out on the Haunting. And there wasn't anything he could do to stop them.


	7. Monster Mash

Mike usually wasn't the type to give up. Usually, he worked at the problem until it was solved, but this time, it seemed hopeless. He just sat there, upset. Spooky came up and rubbed her head against his leg, mewing. Mike looked down at her and scratched behind her ears.

"Spooky, what am I gonna do?" he asked. "I let the Ghost of Tom come out and now he and the rest of those creeps are terrorizin' the whole city. And I don't know how to stop them."

"Mew," Spooky responded. Mike sighed and continued to scratch behind her ears.

"You're lucky you're a cat," he said. "You don't have to worry about things like this. You're biggest worry is gettin' locked outside and the pet door gettin' stuck."

The kitten licked Mike's fingers. Clearly, she didn't understand what in the world Mike was telling her. He didn't care. He just wanted someone to talk to.

"I know you can't tell me what to do, Spooky," he said. "After all, you're just a kitten. But I'm at a loss here. All the monsters in the world are out there scarin' people half to death, stuff like that, and it's all my fault. I just don't know what to do!"

"You could start by not feeling sorry for yourself," Hazel said. "That won't get us anywhere."

"Do you have any ideas on what I should do, Aunt Hazel?"

"Come down to my parlor and we'll see what I can do."

Mike followed his aunt down to her hideout to find out what they were going to do. Hazel pulled a large book off her bookshelf and took a large black cauldron out of the cabinet.

"Now, I'll take the book, and you put in the ingredients," Hazel said. "You brought the Ghost of Tom to life, you have to stop him."

"Got it," Mike said. "Fire when ready."

"First of all, let's make you look the part."

Hazel snapped her fingers. When the smoke cleared, Mike's clothes had changed. Instead of the classic red eight button shirt, he now wore a black turtle neck, black pants, a black cape, and even one of those stereotypical black pointed hats.

"What's with the hat?" Mike asked.

"It makes you look more like a witch," Hazel said. "You know, shows off your heritage a bit."

"Yeah, but only women witches wear this sort of thing."

"Now you do. Either wear it or I'm not gonna help you!"

"I've been makin' bargains all night. Okay. Let's do it."

Hazel nodded and Mike picked up a wooden spoon, ready for action. Hazel began to list off ingredients. Mike grabbed them off the shelf and poured them into the cauldron. Then he would mix them together.

"Now what do we do?" he asked.

"Dye it red," Hazel said. "And wouldn't you know I'm out of food coloring."

"Hey, I've got it covered."

Mike snapped his fingers and the concoction in the cauldron turned blood red.

"What's the next step, Aunt Hazel?" he asked.

"We bottle it," Hazel said, snapping her fingers. The concoction then appeared in a large bottle. "Now, you take this to the Monsters. This may cause them to lose their power."

"How am I gonna catch up with those creeps?"

"Fly of course."

"Uhh, well, Aunt Hazel, see, I can't. I don't know how to drive a broom stick."

"I don't care if you don't know how to walk, Robert Michael! You've got to do it. And don't lose the bottle!"

"Right."

Hazel handed Mike a broomstick. The Texan Monkee took a deep breath, straddled the broom, and took another breath.

"Okay," he said. "Contact!"

The broom revved up, and took off, fast as lightning. Mike held on for dear life.

"Whoa!" he shouted. "Hey! How do you drive this thing?!"

It was a pretty turbulent ride, but even so, he managed to catch up with the Monsters who were busy wreaking havoc and scaring people. Mike crashed into a building, and slid to the ground.

"Stop the world," he groaned. "I wanna get off!"

"Oh, you decided to join us after all," the Count said. "Excellent."

"Yeah," Mike said, regaining his senses. "Listen, I've been thinkin' you're right. Us Monsters don't get to have enough fun. What do you say we celebrate eternal Halloween with a drink? How 'bout a Bloody Mary?"

"Sounds good to me."

Mike reached for the bottle, and then realized he dropped it when he crashed. He looked over at the broomstick, and a broken bottle. Then he groaned.

"Great," he said. "I dropped it."

"Oh, what a shame," the Count said. "Oh well. You win some, you lose some. Come on. Let's go have a little fun, huh?"

Mike just nodded and rolled his eyes. He had to think of another way to stop the Monsters. The Count led him around the town, and they watched all the Monsters tear everything apart and scaring people. Especially the Ghost of Tom. He didn't say a word. All he did was howl, moan, and shriek. And the people would usually shriek back. Mike couldn't stand watching it, especially since that ghost was getting his power from Peter's spirit and energy.

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" the Count asked. He took something out of his pocket. "I'll drink to this!"

"What's that?" Mike asked.

"Oh, my blood supply. Once I suck it, I save it for later sometimes. This is some of Peter's, actually."

"Really. Do you have the rest of it with you?"

"Yes. Under my cape."

"Count baby, that's all I wanted to know!"

Mike backed up and gave the Count a good zap with his magic. Then he lifted the vampire into the air and shook him. Glass containers filled with red liquid spilled out of his cape and pockets. And they were labeled as well. They all had the same four letters on them: T, D, H, and P.

"Okay, obviously 'P' is for 'Peter'," Mike said, gathering all the bottles marked "P" and putting them in a bag he conjured up. "But what about T, D, and H?"

"Tom, Dick, and Harry," the Count said. "Could you please put me down now?"

"I'll think about it. I thought about it. Nope."

"You're going to get it, Michael! Nobody does this to the Count!"

"First time for everythin', you know."

Mike ran until he found the Ghost of Tom, scaring everybody in sight, getting his power from Peter's spirit. He snapped his fingers and a slingshot appeared in his hand. He picked up a rock, loaded the slingshot, and hurled it at the ghost. It hit him in the head. Tom turned around, let out a howl, and lunged for Mike. The Texan Monkee side stepped the ghost and grabbed Peter's hand as Tom went by. Tom inadvertently let go of the blond Monkee and zoomed off.

"What would you do without me, Pete?" Mike asked. "Now, let's get this blood back into your system."

"BANZAI!" the Blob shouted, jumping down from a building. Mike dodged it and it fell flat into a green puddle.

"Gotta go," Mike said. "Give my regards to the Count!"

"You're not going anywhere, Michael," the Count said. Somehow, he managed to get down from midair.

"You know, my spells just don't stick like they used to," Mike said.

"Get him!" the Count shouted. All the Monsters went for Mike.

"Bye!" the Texan shouted, and he grabbed Peter and his broomstick.

Mike flew back to Monster Manor with lightning speed. Well, it really wasn't his choice to go to Monster Manor. Somehow or another, he was drawn to the house. It was all part of the Count's plan to capture both him and Peter. Mike crashed the broom through a window and hit the wall. Then he dumped the containers out of the bag and pulled the cork off one of them. He took the gauze off of Peter's neck and snapped his fingers. A small tube appeared in the blood container.

"I hope this works," he said. He placed the tube into one of the bite marks on Peter's neck and snapped his fingers. The blood began to transfer from the tube into the blond Monkee's system.

"If I do this right," Mike said, "those bite marks should disappear once he's got all his blood back."

For the next few minutes, though it seemed like an hour, Mike performed a blood transfusion. When he was halfway finished, Peter stirred. He groaned, and slowly opened his eyes. Mike sighed with relief.

"Oh man, Peter, thank goodness you're okay!" he shouted.

"Define okay," Peter said, weakly. "Oohhh, my aching neck. I feel like someone bit it."

"Someone did. The Count sucked your blood, but I'm performin' a blood transfusion. He had your blood stored in a vile. He was gonna drink it later."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, though. I'm almost through."

Peter nodded. Finally, the last of his blood was back in his system. As a precaution, Mike put the gauze back in place.

"Just in case those holes in your neck don't close up right away," he said.

"Holes in my neck?!" Peter shouted, panicked.

"Relax, Pete. They're gonna close up. But about the holes in your neck, well, the Count sucked your blood. Those holes are fang marks."

"Oh."

"Come on. We've got to get out of here."

Mike pulled Peter to his feet and the two boys began searching for a way out of the house.

"What I don't get is how in the world I could've ended up at this crazy house," Mike said. "I wasn't even flyin' for it."

"I know, but I set your course here, Michael," the Count said.

"It's him," Peter said, nervously.

"I see your blood transfusion was successful," the Count replied. "But it doesn't matter. I'll just suck his blood again, and this time, I won't store it!"

The vampire lunged. Mike stepped in front of Peter and gave the Count a blast of his magic.

"Let's get out of here!" he shouted.

Peter nodded and he and Mike began to run down the hallway.

"Monsters! Stop them!" the Count shouted.

The Monsters ran off after the boys. Mike and Peter didn't dare split up this time. If they did, Peter would definitely get his blood sucked again. And he was already a pint low.

"I think he drank some of my blood after he sucked it," he said, catching his breath.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Mike said. "You still look a little weak, man."

"I feel kind of faint, too."

"Yeah, well, don't pass out on me now. There's no way I can go through this alone."

"Ah ha!" the Wolfman shouted. "Thought you could out run the Wolfman? Well, now here's where I get to have some fun!"

Mike snapped his fingers and a large bone appeared in his hand. He waved it around and the Wolfman began to grow excited (well, he's part dog, you know).

"Here boy, go get it!" Mike shouted, throwing the bone across the room. The Wolfman ran after it, picked it up and began to chew on it.

"Now, while he's takin' a snack break, let's split!" Mike shouted.

"Right," Peter said, and he and Mike ran down the hall. As they did, they ran into Frankenstein, who moaned and tried to grab them both by their necks.

"What do we do about this one?" Peter asked.

"Simple," Mike said. He clapped his hands and it began to thunder and lightning outside. Mike pointed his finger and led the lightning to Frankenstein. It hit the bolts in his neck and sent an electrical shock through the giant monster.

"We'll put a little volts in those bolts," Mike laughed. "Let's go!"

Mike and Peter ran off down the hall again. This time, they were blocked off by the Blob. Mike shook his head.

"This is gonna be too easy," he said, snapping his fingers. A can appeared out of nowhere, and he scooped the Blob into it.

 _Sccchhhhluurrrrp!_

"Yeecchh," Peter grimaced. "That's disgusting!"

"Well, it ain't over yet," Mike said, closing the can and putting it on the floor. "Run before we run into another monster!"

Too late for that. Mike threw open a door and the boys were face to face with the Mummy, growling and coming straight for them. Then Peter noticed a loose bandage.

"I'll handle this one, Mike," he said, grabbing the bandage. He pulled as hard as he could, and the Mummy went off spinning. All that was left was a pile of bandages.

"Things are unraveling fast, aren't they, Mike?" Peter asked.

"Clever," Mike said. "Now let's scram!"

"Gotcha."

The boys took off, hoping they wouldn't have to deal with any more of the Monsters. But then they ended up running into the Count.

"You boys are more resourceful than I thought," he said. "But it doesn't matter. As much as I'd like to, Michael, I can't do anything to you. You're one of us, more or less. But Peter is another story. Peter, look into my eyes."

"Don't do it, Pete," Mike said. "He'll put you in a trance and suck your blood!"

"Don't listen to him, Peter. Now look into my eyes!"

Peter squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the Count. He wasn't falling for _that_ old trick. The Count wasn't pleased.

"Fine," he said. "No matter. He doesn't need to be dead for the Ghost of Tom to get his power."

"Who's the Ghost of Tom?" Peter asked Mike.

"You don't want to know," Mike said, taking the blond Monkee's arm. "And trust me, I'm not gonna let you hang around long enough to find out."

The Count just laughed. Then he whistled for Tom. The large ghost howled and flew after the boys. Peter saw it and screamed.

"I told you you didn't want to know," Mike said matter-of-factly.

"You were right!" Peter shouted. "I _didn't_ want to know! Now let's get out of here!"

The boys ran inside a room and slammed the door shut. The Ghost of Tom passed them completely. Mike leaned against the door and caught is breath. Peter collapsed in a chair.

"Man," he said. "I've seen ghosts before, but that one takes the cake!"

"Yeah, I know," Mike said.

"Where'd it come from, anyway?"

"Well, ahh, see, man . . . . I helped the Monsters conjure him up."

"What?"

"That's part of the Haunting. They needed a witch to bring the Ghost of Tom out so these creeps could make an eternal Halloween. They lured us here. The car didn't break down outside this house coincidentally. They knew I was half warlock, so they brought us here, the Count sucked your blood, and they used you to get me to conjure the Ghost of Tom. And since I conjured him up, I have to get rid of him, but one of my plans failed."

"Oh. I wish I could help you, but I'm no magician."

"I know. All I've got is my witch magic. And even with that, I don't know how to stop the Ghost of Tom."

"Don't worry, Mike. You'll think of something. And I'll help you get rid of that ghost. We're in this together."

Mike smiled. Peter could be a complete screwball sometimes, as well as the dummy, but he was always there when Mike needed him.


	8. The Counter Spell

The two Monkees sat around the room and thought about it for awhile. Neither of them could come up with anything. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door. Mike stood up and looked through the keyhole.

"Uh oh," he said. "The Count's caught up with us, as well as the Ghost of Tom."

"What do we do now?" Peter asked.

"What do you think? Hide!"

Mike ran for window hid behind the curtains, while Peter ducked underneath the couch. Both of them hoped the Count wouldn't find them. The door flew open and the Count and the Ghost of Tom.

"I know they're in here," the Count said. "I saw them run in. Now all we've got to do is find them."

The two ghouls searched the room high and low. Mike bit his lower lip as the Count passed the window. Peter bit his nails. Suddenly, he stopped and looked around.

"Hmm," he said. "I smell mortal blood in here. But where?"

Peter gulped. Mike's heart began to beat wildly. It was practically visible through his shirt.

"I wonder if those boys could be here!" the Count shouted, throwing the couch aside.

"Oh no," Peter said.

"Oh boy," Mike replied, softly.

"Oh no is right!" the Count laughed. "I'm glad I found you Peter. I was starting to get a little thirsty!"

Peter stood up and began to back away. The Count just followed him. the blond Monkee managed to back into the wall. And the Count was coming straight for him. There was no way out. He was trapped.

"Please," he begged. "Please don't suck my blood. I beg of you!"

"Begging won't do you any good, Peter," the Count said, grabbing his shoulders. "I need to subdue you for the Ghost of Tom!"

"Not if I can help it!" Mike shouted, yanking the curtains off the windows. He took the rod and whacked the Count over the head with it.

"Oohh, good night. Fangs for the memories!" the Count shouted out, dazed. Then he fell to the ground.

"Let's split!" Mike shouted, grabbing Peter's hand. The boys ran out of the room.

"Now where do we go?" Peter asked.

"To the parlor," Mike replied. "We're gonna get some help from my Aunt Hazel."

"Another aunt?"

"What can I say? I've got a lot of relatives. Let's just go before the Count wakes up from his nap!"

Peter nodded and followed Mike into the parlor. Mike pulled him into the elevator and pushed the button. Within seconds, the boys were in an underground tunnel, heading for Hazel's hideaway. The first thing they encountered was Spooky. She mewed happily and climbed onto Mike's shoulder. She licked his ear and began purring.

"Hey, Spooky," he said. "Peter, this is Spooky. She's my aunt's cat."

"A black kitten," Peter said, rubbing underneath Spooky's chin. "How apropos. Well, even though she's a Halloween kitten, she _is_ awfully cute."

With that Spooky jumped onto Peter's shoulder and began licking his ear. Peter laughed.

"Hey! Cut it out!" he shouted. Mike laughed and picked up the little black kitten.

"Spooky, is Aunt Hazel around?" he asked.

"Mew," Spooky said. She jumped out of Mike's hands and dashed off down the tunnel.

"Come on, Peter," Mike said. "Just follow Spooky."

Peter shrugged and followed Mike and Spooky down the hallway. They found Hazel stirring something in her cauldron.

"Hey Aunt Hazel," Mike said.

"Well, now, Robert Michael," Hazel said. "You're back. Did the Bloody Mary work?"

"No. I dropped it when I crashed the broom."

"Oh dear."

"Well, I tried to tell you I didn't know how to drive a broomstick. I did manage to give Peter a blood transfusion, though."

"Do you have any ideas how to stop these creeps?" Peter asked.

"I can't," Hazel said. "Mike brought out the Ghost of Tom, and he's the only one who can get rid of him. If he doesn't before midnight, then it will be Halloween night forever."

"Oh no," Mike groaned. At the same time Peter said,

"Boy, are we in trouble."

The boys sat down and watched Hazel stir her concoction. Spooky jumped up and sat on Mike's lap. Mike stroked her ears, thinking about what to do.

"I'm beginnin' to think this is hopeless," he said.

"It sure seems like it," Hazel said. "But let's try not to think about it right now."

"Well, we'd better," Mike said, checking his watch. "It's already eleven thirty."

"We've only got a half hour to get rid of the Ghost of Tom," Peter sighed. "Wait a minute! I've got an idea!"

"What?" Mike asked. Peter grabbed a book off the shelf and began to look through it.

"Why didn't any of us think of it before?" he said. "Mike, how did you conjure up the Ghost of Tom?"

"Well, I poured some stuff into a cauldron and read an incantation. Then he just sort of popped out of the ground."

"Was the incantation out of a book?"

"Yeah, actually."

"Well, here's a counter spell! All we have to do is gather the ingredients, take them and the cauldron to Tom's grave, mix them up, and perform another incantation. It's all right here in the book!"

"Peter, you're a genius!"

"I've got plenty of these ingredients," Hazel said, looking over Peter's shoulder into the book. "I'll make a list of the ingredients you boys need to get and then I'll bring what I have to the Ghost of Tom's grave along with the cauldron, and Robert Michael, you mix them up and perform the incantation."

"Right," Mike said. Hazel snapped her fingers and handed the list to Peter. Mike took the spell book and the boys ran off upstairs.

Luckily, all the ingredients they needed to find were around Monster Manor. The cobwebs were easy to find. They just went in any room of the house and there they were!

"This may be easier than I thought," Peter said. "What's the next ingredient?"

"Mold and mildew," Mike said, reading the list. "Eeeccchhh. Oh well. Follow me. I think I know where to get some. Along with the fungus and the moss."

"Now I know why this is easier than I thought. It's a heck of a lot more disgusting than I thought!"

Mike shrugged and the boys went out to the graveyard and collected the mold, mildew, fungus, and moss. Not to mention they dug up some swamp water and muck. Once they gathered everything, they met Hazel and Spooky at Tom's grave.

"Have you got all the ingredients?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah," Mike said. "Did you bring your ingredients?"

"Check. Now, you tell us what to put in and we'll put it in."

"And I'll mix it up as you guys are dumpin' it in."

Mike read off a list of the ingredients, which included eye of newt, bat wings, snake knees . . . .

"I didn't even know snakes _had_ knees!" Mike shouted.

"Forget it," Peter said. "Just read!"

Mike nodded and continued listing ingredients: spider's eyebrows, lizard gizzards, the cobwebs, the muck, the mold, the mildew, the fungus, the swamp water, the mud, and a pinch of salt.

"A pinch of salt?" Peter asked, confused.

"I'm just tellin' ya what the book says!" Mike shouted. Then he snapped his fingers and a salt shaker appeared in his hand. He put a pinch of salt into the cauldron.

"Wait a minute," he said. "We need one more ingredient."

"What's that?" Peter asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"I need the hair of a mortal."

"It doesn't say that!"

"Yes it does, look right here."

"Let me see that thing!"

Peter looked over the book, ready to clobber Mike if he was kidding. And he wasn't. The book really did say that. Peter sighed.

"Okay," he said. "But please, don't use too much."

Mike took some of Peter's hair between his fingers and pulled. He ended up yanking out quite a few strands. It was barely noticeable, but it still hurt.

"Yeeouch!" Peter shouted. "Couldn't you have just used a pair of scissors, Mike?!"

"I needed them directly from the scalp," Mike said. "Don't worry though. I didn't take too much. Just about five strands is all."

Peter pouted. Mike shrugged and stirred the goop. They didn't have too much time to perform the spell. Time was of the essence. Peter picked up the book and looked at the page.

"Uh oh, hold it a sec," he said. "According to the book, we have to get the Ghost of Tom here."

"Well, that'll be easy," Mike said, still stirring the goop. "The Count's lookin' for us and he'll be bringin' the Ghost of Tom with him."

"Yeah, but we don't have time to wait for him to come to us!"

"He's right, Robert Michael," Hazel said. "The question is how are we going to get him here?"

"Have them chase one of us, I guess," Mike said.

"Count me out, boys," Hazel said. "There's no way I want those Monsters chasing me!"

"Better count Mike out too," Peter said. "He's busy stirring that slop. Guess it's up to me."

"You sure you want to do this?" Mike asked.

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."

"If you say so. And Peter, be careful, will ya?"

"Don't worry, Mike. I can handle this."

Mike stirred the slop inside the cauldron and watched Peter run back to the creepy old house.

"I hope so," he said.


	9. Mashing the Monster Mash

Peter snuck back inside the house and walked around, looking for the Count.

"He's got to be around here somewhere," he said. "He just couldn't have disappeared into thin air."

Suddenly a hand clasped over Peter's mouth. He let out a panicked scream. To his surprise, he found the Count had caught up with him.

"Oh, but you're wrong Peter," he said. "I can pop in and out at will. I don't know where Michael is right now, but I'll handle him later. Right now, I've got blood to suck. Yours!"

Peter wasn't licked yet. He opened his mouth slightly and bit the Count's hand as hard as he could. The Count screamed and let go.

"You have to catch me first!" Peter taunted. Then he ran for the back door.

"I'll definitely catch you, my friend," the Count growled. "And your little half warlock buddy, too. Monsters! After him! I want his blood!"

The entire fleet of monsters came out of various places of the house and began chasing Peter. the blond Monkee practically flew out the back door and ran to Mike and Hazel.

"The Monsters are coming! The Monsters are coming!" he shouted, feeling a bit like Paul Revere.

"Oh, good," Hazel replied.

"Yeah, and we've got only a few minutes to spare," Mike said, checking his watch.

"Keep stirring the concoction, Robert Michael," Hazel said. "You need to keep stirring it or else the incantation won't work."

"How can I stir it while usin' my magic?" Mike asked.

"I'll stir, you perform magic," Peter said, taking the spoon.

"There they are, Master!" Igor shouted.

"Good!" the Count shouted. "I'll finally get my blood! And the Ghost of Tom will finally get his power!"

"I don't think so, Count," Mike said. "I betcha didn't think of _this_ when you got me to conjure up Ol' Tom."

"What is that?"

"A counter spell!"

"Oh no! Not a counter spell!"

"Yes! A counter spell!"

"It's not quite through yet, Michael! You'll never make it before midnight!"

Mike glared at the Count and opened the spell book. Peter stirred the goop in the cauldron. Hazel crossed her fingers.

"Okay, Count. Time to say goodnight," Mike said. Then he began his incantation.

"Spiders and snakes, bats and frogs, lizards and snails, black cats and dogs. Ghosts and vampires fill the world with fright, all throughout Halloween night. Skeleton bones rattle around, spirits rise from beneath the ground. To scare the world, and the people too, but now tonight, the haunting's through. The Ghost of Tom, the winds may blow, but now it's time for you to go. A world of fear, which you did send, but now it's time it came to an end. Witches and goblins fill one with fright, and now end eternal Halloween night!"

Once Mike was through speaking his incantation, the wind began to blow harder and harder. Then he grabbed the spoon to continue stirring the potion. Things were picked up in the strong wind, including all the Monsters and the Ghost of Tom. Soon the wind became a swirling cyclone.

"What did you do?!" Peter shouted.

"All I did was read what was in the book!" Mike yelled.

"No! This can't happen!" the Count shouted, trying to swim out of the cyclone. "It can't!"

"Yes it can," Mike said. "It's not midnight yet!"

"Then there's still a chance!"

The Count did his best to swim out of the cyclone. Mike just rolled his eyes. But then, the Count managed to reach his arms out of the cyclone. And as he did, he grabbed Peter's arms and began to pull him inside.

"MIIIIIIIIIKE!" Peter screamed.

"What are you doin'?!" Mike shouted.

"Taking the mortal with me!" the Count shouted. "And there's nothing you can do. I know this counter spell, Michael! Once someone is in the cyclone, they can't get out!"

"Mike, help!" Peter shouted as the Count pulled him into the swirling cyclone. Mike grabbed Peter's ankles and began pulling in the other direction.

"Be careful, Robert Michael!" Hazel shouted.

"Keep out of this, Hazel!" the Count yelled. "This isn't any of your concern!"

Mike grinded his teeth and pulled. The Count just pulled harder.

"Take it easy, you guys!" Peter shouted. "I'm not a taffy pull, you know!"

"Give it up, Michael!" the Count shouted. "There's no way you'll be able to pull your mortal pal out of here. You're not strong enough!"

Mike was about to give it one final yank when the Count snapped his fingers, and a blast of magic hit Mike in the stomach, and he flew across the cemetery, letting go of Peter's ankles in the process. the blond Monkee shot into the cyclone. The Count laughed triumphantly and grabbed Peter's shoulders.

"There's no escape from me now," he said. "Once we all go below, you will be joining us, and from there, you will never be able to escape, unless Michael stops the spell. And by the time he does stop the spell, if he chooses to do so, it will be after midnight!"

Mike regained his senses and growled at the Count. He only had one option left.

"I'm gonna use my magic at it's full force," he said.

"Robert Michael, you don't want to do that!" Hazel shouted. "If a half witch or warlock uses his or her powers at their full force, who knows what will happen?"

"It's the only way I can save Peter without stoppin' the spell!"

Hazel took Spooky and backed up. Mike stood at the edge of the cyclone, closed his eyes, and concentrated as hard as he could. The Count watched at laughed.

"Give it up, Michael!" he shouted. "The only way to save your friend is to cancel this spell!"

Mike tilted his head upward and raised his hands into the air. Then he concentrated harder than he ever had before. His hands began to glow and a blast of magic shot upward into the sky and then swirled around the cyclone.

"Foolish boy," Boris said. "This cyclone is unstoppable. He made it."

"Yes," the Count said. "He'll never save his friend this way."

"Don't count on that, Count," Peter said.

The Count ignored him. He just continued watching Mike pour all his magic out at it's full potential. The Texan wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he knew it was all he could do. Mike held the position for a long time. Finally, there was a loud BOOM! Mike flew backwards and landed on the ground, just as the cyclone began to sink into the ground. Mike jumped to his feet and ran for the grave.

"Peter!" he shouted. He got to the grave just as the cyclone sank into the ground, taking the Monsters and the Ghost of Tom with it, never to return again.

"No! Peter!" Mike shouted. Then he dropped to his knees and shook his head in disbelief. "This can't be happenin'. He couldn't have. He just couldn't have!"

"Robert Michael," Hazel said.

"No!" Mike yelled cutting her off. "No, he couldn't have! He just couldn't have!"

Mike hung his head and bit his lower lip. He just couldn't believe that Peter was gone forever.

"He couldn't have," he whispered over and over again. "He just couldn't have."

"You're right, Mike," a voice said. "I couldn't have. And thanks to you, I didn't."

Mike looked up and turned around. Standing at the other side of the graveyard was Peter. Mike jumped up and ran over to him.

"Peter!" he shouted. "I can't believe it! I thought you were still in the cyclone."

"I was," Peter said. "I got out after that explosion happened. You used your magic at it's full potential, and when the explosion occurred, I practically flew out of the cyclone."

"But what about the Count and the Ghost of Tom and all the other Monsters?" Mike asked.

"They're gone for good, Robert Michael," Hazel said. "You did it. That counter spell really did the trick. They won't ever return again."

"For real?" Mike asked. "You mean, not even on Halloween night can they return?"

"Not even on Halloween night. Not even if the entire Witches Council from the Other Realm casts a spell. You cast a pretty powerful spell, Robert Michael."

"Yeah, you stopped the Haunting," Peter said, putting his arm around Mike's shoulders. "You destroyed those monsters, and once again, you saved my life. Boy, I really owe you big time."

"Forget about it Peter," Mike said. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Well, I'm still a pint of blood low, but that's okay."

Mike, Peter, and Hazel went through Monster Manor and out to the Monkee Mobile. Mike snapped his fingers and a gas tank appeared out of nowhere. He used it to fill up the Monkee Mobile. Then the boys got into the car.

"I just want you boys to know you're welcome back here at Monster Manor," Hazel said. "Even though it won't be so monstrous anymore."

"And I promise I'll come back and visit you and Spooky, Aunt Hazel," Mike said. "After all, you helped us defeat the Count and the Monsters."

"And let's not forget the Ghost of Tom," Peter replied.

"I'll tell Aunt Kate you were a big help," Mike said. "Bye!"

Mike pulled away from Monster Manor, waving to his aunt as he left. Hazel waved to the two boys as they drove off out of sight.

"You know, she's really a nice witch," Peter said. "Even though she looks like the stereotype."

"I know," Mike said. "But you can't judge a book by lookin' at the cover."

"Yeah. Man, what a night, huh?"

"Really. And you know what? I get the strange feelin' we're forgettin' somethin'. I know we're drivin' around for some reason or another, but why were we in the first place?"

"Beats me. But I get the same feeling you do."

As the boys drove along, they realized what they had forgotten.

"The school dance!" they shouted in unison.

"Oh no, Franky's gonna kill us!" Peter shouted.

"So are Micky and Davy," Mike said. "We'd better head back to the Pad. I highly doubt they'd still be at the school at this time of night!"

Mike put the pedal to the metal. They arrived at the Pad to find two very ticked off Monkees, and a worried looking thirteen year old, all of whom were still in costume. Micky was dressed as a Roman emperor, Davy as Zorro, and Franky as a pirate. When Mike and Peter came through the door, Franky made a beeline for his uncle, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Ooof!" Peter shouted, stumbling backwards, as his nephew hugged him. "Hi Franky."

"About time you guys got back," Davy said, a bit sourly. "Where 'ave you been?!"

"We were waiting for you two to show up all night!" Micky shouted.

"And don't try to tell us you were at the radio station party," Davy said. "We called Jerry around nine to see what was taking so long, and 'e said you 'ad left already."

"It wasn't easy playing with only half a band, you know!" Micky shouted. "Not to mention trying to keep Franky from hyperventilating."

"Yeah, I was afraid something happened to you guys," Franky said.

Davy, Micky, and Franky began to talk at once, asking why Mike and Peter were so late.

"It's a long story," Peter said.

"Yeah, I'll explain it," Mike replied. "And let me tell ya, have I got a tale to tell!"

The End


End file.
